sustainability Article Climatology and Dynamical Evolution of Extreme Rainfall Events in the Sinai Peninsula—Egypt Marina Baldi 1,* , Doaa Amin 2, Islam Sabry Al Zayed 3 and Giovannangelo Dalu 1,4 1 CNR-IBE, 00185 Rome, Italy;
[email protected] 2 Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI), National Water Research Center (NWRC), Cairo 13621, Egypt;
[email protected] 3 Technical Office, Headquarter, National Water Research Center (NWRC), Cairo 13411, Egypt;
[email protected] 4 Accademia dei Georgofili, 50122 Firenze, Italy * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 7 June 2020; Accepted: 28 July 2020; Published: 31 July 2020 Abstract: The whole Mediterranean is suffering today because of climate changes, with projections of more severe impacts predicted for the coming decades. Egypt, on the southeastern flank of the Mediterranean Sea, is facing many challenges for water and food security, further exacerbated by the arid climate conditions. The Nile River represents the largest freshwater resource for the country, with a minor contribution coming from rainfall and from non-renewable groundwater aquifers. In more recent years, another important source is represented by non-conventional sources, such as treated wastewater reuse and desalination; these water resources are increasingly becoming valuable additional contributors to water availability. Moreover, although rainfall is scarce in Egypt, studies have shown that rainfall and flash floods can become an additional available source of water in the future. While presently rare, heavy rainfalls and flash floods are responsible for huge losses of lives and infrastructure especially in parts of the country, such as in the Sinai Peninsula. Despite the harsh climate, water from these events, when opportunely conveyed and treated, can represent a precious source of freshwater for small communities of Bedouins.